Africalolampra stipata ( Walker, 1868 ) Mbia & Ngon & Legendre & Menbohan, 2024

Mbia, Donald-L’or Nyame, Ngon, Eric Belmond Biram à, Legendre, Frédéric & Menbohan, Samuel Foto, 2024, Semi-aquatic Epilamprinae cockroaches (Blattodea: Blaberidae) in Cameroon: towards a revision of continental African species of Rhabdoblatta Kirby, 1903 and Africalolampra Roth, 1995, European Journal of Taxonomy 946 (1), pp. 1-57 : 14-19

Africalolampra stipata ( Walker, 1868) comb. nov.

Figs 8–9 ; Table 3

Epilampra stipata Walker, 1868: 208 .

Epilampra stipata – Kirby 1904: 123. — Shelford 1910: 14. — Princis 1958: 63; 1963a: 138. Rhabdoblatta stipata – Weidner 1969: 101. — Kumar 1975: 80.

Material examined

Holotype

REPUBLIC OF GUINEA • ♀; “ holotype; Epilampra stipata Walker ”; BMNH, # BMNH (E)878073 [pictures only].

Additional specimens

REPUBLIC OF GUINEA • 1 ♂; “Nimba (Guinea), 9 Db”; MNHN-EP7593 • 2 ♂♂; “Nimba (Guinée), Yalanzou; II VI 42; M. Lamotte ”; MNHN-EP7594 , MNHN-EP7595 • 2 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; MNHN-EP7611 , MNHN-EP7612 • 1 ♂, largely damaged; “Nimba ( Guinée), Nion; II.VI.42, 1969 1491; M. Lamotte ”; LUHM .

Differential diagnosis and history

This species was described initially by Walker (1868), from what has been initially thought to be a male specimen but later identified as a female ( Princis 1958). Princis (1963a) complemented this description and described the male for the first time, with a drawing of the male subgenital plate. He notably underlined the strongly specialized tarsal claws and described the tergal gland located on the first tergite, two characters that are, however, found in several species of Africalolampra . This species differs nonetheless from the congeneric species by the very strong intensity of the specialization of the tarsal claws (males and females), the shape of the subgenital plate (asymmetric, concave on the right side but convex on the left side), and the shape of the male tergal gland (i.e., a pit with two transverse fold-like elevations that meet mesally – Fig. 8D ). In addition, we here illustrate its male genitalia ( Fig. 9 ). For females, Kumar (1975) underlined that A. stipata can be distinguished from other species by the following combination of characters: wings fully developed, absence of a median brown longitudinal band on the subgenital plate, its size, and the strongly serrated claws.

Description of male genitalia ( Fig. 9 )

Left phallomere R complex (L1 of MK64 and R70, and R2+R3+N of G96): cleft between R1T and R2 with large protuberance at its base. Sclerite L2d with its basal sclerite rod-shaped, broader at its base (L1 of G96); apical sclerite of L2d (L2vm of MK64, L2v of R70 and L1 of G96) in two parts, with a rounded sclerite in the hollow of the crescent-like sclerite (visible in caudal view). Sclerite L3 (R2 of MK64, R70, and L2d of PG96) long, with a slender hook deeply bent and a membranous outgrouth (m.o.); inner margin of the basal part of L3 slightly crenulated along most of its length. L4U large, broadly trapezoidal.

Measurements of adults

Male (n = 3): pronotum length ×width: 3.6–4.1 ×4.9–5.3, tegmina length: 15.8–16.5, overall length ×width: 13.1–15.3× 5.4–5.9.

Female (n = 2): pronotum length ×width: 4.1–4.4 ×5.1–5.3, tegmina length: 18.2–18.9, overall length ×width: 16.3–16.5× 6.4–6.6

Habitat

This species has been reported as a water-dwelling cockroach ( Weidner 1969).

Distribution

This species is known from Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana and the Republic of Guinea ( Fig. 1 ). Details of localities are provided in Table 3 .

Figures

Fig. 8. Africalolampra stipata (Walker, 1868) comb. nov., male specimen (MNHN-EP7594). A. Habitus in dorsal and ventral views. B. Pronotum. C. Head. D. Tergal gland on 1st abdominal tergite. E. Supraanal plate, dorsal view. F. Tarsi and serrated claws of midleg, ventral view. G. Subgenital plate and right cercus. Scale bars: A = 5 mm; B–F = 1 mm.

Fig. 9. Africalolampra stipata (Walker, 1868) comb. nov., male specimen (MNHN-EP7595), genitalia. Abbreviations: see Material and methods. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 1. Distribution of African species of Rhabdoblatta Kirby, 1903 and Africalolampra Roth, 1995, including the new species described (indicated with a star). ‘?’ is used when countries with no exact locality were provided in the literature. Details of localities are provided in the main text.